Crossroads of Ideas

Crossroads of Ideas is a public lecture series held monthly during the academic year that addresses topics that matter to our community and are the subject of research at UW-Madison.

The name Crossroads of Ideas reflects the importance of the Discovery Building as a place for campus and community to learn about thought-provoking topics. Crossroads refers to both the building’s central location on campus and the intersection of the dozens of different disciplines that work and study here.

Crossroads of Ideas25-26 Engaging Curous Minds at the intersection of science and culture. Save the dates: Jan 28 or 29, Feb 19, Mar 18, April 22.

Upcoming

Crossroads of Ideas: Quantum Frontiers

December 9 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Crossroads of Ideas: How Failure Fuels Innovation

January 28, 2026 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Crossroads of Ideas: The Upside of AI Failure

February 19, 2026 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Crossroads of Ideas: When Antibiotics Fail

March 18, 2026 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Crossroads Recording Archives

Art and Science doodles in a grafitti genre
Crossroads of Ideas: Comparing the Creative Process in Science and Art

By Wisconsin Book Festival Presented in partnership with the Wisconsin Science Festival, a special Crossroads of Ideas conversation.

We thank our sponsors

Wisconsin Institute for Discovery logo
UW logo
Morgridge Institute for Discovery logo
Cap times logo